Shawn The Baptist - Sunday Scriptures

“If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.” So the psalmist urges us in today’s Mass. Changing our hearts is important, but did you ever stop to think about the first part, hearing God’s voice? Even people who say they believe in God often think of him as some distant power. Perhaps he is like a clockmaker who spun up the world at the time of creation like a big clock and then just let it go to unwind itself over the course of history. Our psalm today gives us a very different image of the true God.

The psalm tells us that the God who made everything, including us, wants to speak to us. In fact, we should be listening, not just in general, but right now… TODAY! This is not a God who is distant and uninvolved. This is a God who is with us and wants to mix it up in our world. That’s the whole meaning of God becoming one of us in the incarnation, Jesus taking on our human flesh. Even better, when Jesus left this world at his Ascension, he promised to remain with us always. We are not abandoned. We are not alone.

Now, all of this might make us feel good to know that we have this divine protection and even communication. But there is something here that effects all of society. If, as St. Paul tells us in the second reading, we know that Christ has been raised, and that we have been raised with Christ, then we are free to “seek what is above.” I say “free” because, when you know that this world is not all there is, then you are not weighed down trying to get all your joy and happiness from this world. This is the lesson of the today’s gospel.

If this world is all there is, then you’ve got to try to get as much as possible of what this world offers. If you’re blessed and have a lot, then you need to build bigger barns and store it up. If material wealth and possessions are the only lasting happiness, then you have to hold on to it. You have to get as much for yourself as possible. This is why the truth of Christianity, the truth of the resurrection of Jesus, effects the entire culture. Imagine if everyone lived only for this world, taking and grasping desperately for everything they could get. What kind of world would this be? Now, consider that there are over a billion people who call themselves Christians, who know that there are “things above” that are greater than “what is on earth.” Think of the contrast between the great saints who give up all the material possessions compared to those who would be constantly at war to obtain more and more? Christians have not only the secret to happiness, but also the path to world peace.

Where do you seek happiness? Do you cling to the things of this world and live in fear of not having enough? How is God inviting you to a greater freedom by setting your heart on the things above? Talk to God about these things in your prayer this week, and then listen. You just might hear his voice.

Sometimes people will confess that they "didn't get their prayers in" on certain occasions. When you think of "saying your prayers," what come to mind? How to you pray? Probably a lot of people would naturally think of prayers they memorized as children, like the Our Father from today's gospel. As good as these memorized prayers are, there's a lot more to prayer this. Prayer is ultimately about a relationship. God wants a relationship with us and prayer is really just talking to God.

"Teach us to pray," the disciple asks. This is a great thing for all of us to ask. In today's homily, I offer insight into five different kinds of prayer.

A - Adoration

T - Thanksgiving

C- Contrition

I - Intercession

P - Petition

Taking the first letter of each, you can use the following phrase to help remember: "As The Christian, I Pray."

We are probably most familiar with the last two. That's where we ask God for things, either for others or for ourselves. While this isn't the only kind of prayer, it's not bad that we would ask God for what we think we need. In the gospel, Jesus makes it clear that he actually wants this. Yet, sometimes God doesn't answer our prayers exactly the way we would like. Seemingly "unanswered prayers" are some of the most difficult things to understand.

I end the homily today by giving some advice in dealing with these times when God's answer isn't what we would want. God really is our father who loves us and wants to give us what is good. But prayer is about a relationship. Yes, God wants to answer our prayers, but more than that, he wants us. You want Jesus to teach you to pray? Start talking more with God. Tell him what's on your heart. Speak to him as a friend and father. Have a relationship with him. That's prayer.

Sometimes people will confess that they “didn’t get their prayers in” on certain occasions. When you think of “saying your prayers,” what come to mind? How to you pray? Probably a lot of people would naturally think of prayers they memorized as children, like the Our Father from today’s gospel. As good as these memorized prayers are, there’s a lot more to prayer this. Prayer is ultimately about a relationship. God wants a relationship with us and prayer is really just talking to God.

“Teach us to pray,” the disciple asks. This is a great thing for all of us to ask. In today’s homily, I offer insight into five different kinds of prayer.

A – Adoration

T – Thanksgiving

C– Contrition

I – Intercession

P – Petition

Taking the first letter of each, you can use the following phrase to help remember: “As The Christian, I Pray.”

We are probably most familiar with the last two. That’s where we ask God for things, either for others or for ourselves. While this isn’t the only kind of prayer, it’s not bad that we would ask God for what we think we need. In the gospel, Jesus makes it clear that he actually wants this. Yet, sometimes God doesn’t answer our prayers exactly the way we would like. Seemingly “unanswered prayers” are some of the most difficult things to understand.

I end the homily today by giving some advice in dealing with these times when God’s answer isn’t what we would want. God really is our father who loves us and wants to give us what is good. But prayer is about a relationship. Yes, God wants to answer our prayers, but more than that, he wants us. You want Jesus to teach you to pray? Start talking more with God. Tell him what’s on your heart. Speak to him as a friend and father. Have a relationship with him. That’s prayer.

The following homily was given to Scouts gathered at the Chapel of the Twelve Apostles on the H. Roe Bartle Scout Reservation in Osceola, Missouri.

"Do a good turn daily" - that's the lesser known "slogan" of the Boy Scouts. It goes back to the founding of the Boy Scout of America when one "unknown scout" did a simple "good turn" of helping the eventual founder of the BSA to find his way in a fog. It s seems so small. Yet, without this one good turn, the entire program that we love today may never have existed. Sometimes, taking care of just the little details is the most important thing. Little things sometimes leave big ripples through history.

"Be prepared" - the world-famous "motto" of the Boy Scouts. But... prepared for what? You don't know. Now, in order to be prepared, sometimes new scouts (and leaders... especially leaders) think that this means you need to bring a lot of "stuff" when you go camping. But anyone can do that. The real test of a scout's preparedness comes when you go backpacking. Now you have to make hard decisions about what is really necessary. What are you willing to carry on your back for over a week?

The scout slogan and motto come to mind when I look at today's readings. In the first reading, Abraham does a simple "good turn" by being hospitable to some strangers. It turns out that he unknowingly was entertaining angels. The result is that God blesses him and from him the entire line of God's chosen people descends. So much from such a small act, but that's how it is with God. Like a good scout, we should not underestimate the power of doing little things well.

Finally, the motto "Be prepared" comes to mind when I read the Gospel. Like new scouts who really want to be prepared, Martha is trying to make sure that everything is properly prepared for Jesus. Being prepared is a good thing. Yet, Mary is more like the experienced scout. Jesus says that Martha is worried about "many things" while Mary has boiled it all down to the "one thing necessary." As with backpacking, sometimes less is more. Being prepared is not about taking everything... it's about taking the right things, like Mary.

So get out there and do those little things. Find the power in the scout slogan. And while you're trying to fit everything into your life, don't try to carry so much that you miss out on the most important things. God is the one thing necessary. Be prepared to leave a lot of stuff behind to follow him.

The following homily was given to Scouts gathered at the Chapel of the Twelve Apostles on the H. Roe Bartle Scout Reservation in Osceola, Missouri.

“Do a good turn daily” – that’s the lesser known “slogan” of the Boy Scouts. It goes back to the founding of the Boy Scout of America when one “unknown scout” did a simple “good turn” of helping the eventual founder of the BSA to find his way in a fog. It s seems so small. Yet, without this one good turn, the entire program that we love today may never have existed. Sometimes, taking care of just the little details is the most important thing. Little things sometimes leave big ripples through history.

“Be prepared” – the world-famous “motto” of the Boy Scouts. But… prepared for what? You don’t know. Now, in order to be prepared, sometimes new scouts (and leaders… especially leaders) think that this means you need to bring a lot of “stuff” when you go camping. But anyone can do that. The real test of a scout’s preparedness comes when you go backpacking. Now you have to make hard decisions about what is really necessary. What are you willing to carry on your back for over a week?

The scout slogan and motto come to mind when I look at today’s readings. In the first reading, Abraham does a simple “good turn” by being hospitable to some strangers. It turns out that he unknowingly was entertaining angels. The result is that God blesses him and from him the entire line of God’s chosen people descends. So much from such a small act, but that’s how it is with God. Like a good scout, we should not underestimate the power of doing little things well.

Finally, the motto “Be prepared” comes to mind when I read the Gospel. Like new scouts who really want to be prepared, Martha is trying to make sure that everything is properly prepared for Jesus. Being prepared is a good thing. Yet, Mary is more like the experienced scout. Jesus says that Martha is worried about “many things” while Mary has boiled it all down to the “one thing necessary.” As with backpacking, sometimes less is more. Being prepared is not about taking everything… it’s about taking the right things, like Mary.

So get out there and do those little things. Find the power in the scout slogan. And while you’re trying to fit everything into your life, don’t try to carry so much that you miss out on the most important things. God is the one thing necessary. Be prepared to leave a lot of stuff behind to follow him.

"You crazy Catholics... you have so many rules!" Have you ever heard that? It makes it seem like following God's plan is some kind of kill joy that takes all the fun out of life. Society has accepted the notion that to be really free and maximize pleasure you have to do away with "the rules." Our readings today give us a very different picture. The biblical view has always been that God's law is a blessing. Following the law leads to life.

Jesus did not come to do away with the law. He actually tells us just the opposite. Jesus completely fulfilled the law and he wants us to follow the law. However, Jesus also did more than the law required and wants us to do the same.

In today's gospel story of the Good Samaritan, we see how a priest and Levite went by without helping the victim. They were actually fulfilling the law. The law excused them from helping out due to fear that the man was dead. The Samaritan hero goes beyond what the law would require. The description is even one of extravagant help to the poor victim. What would you do? Do you normally try to get by with with "bare minimum" or even break "the rules" when you think you can get away with it?

Jesus did not do the bare minimum. We are meant to see ourselves as the victim fallen half-dead in the ditch going down to Jericho. Like the Good Samaritan, Jesus comes to rescue us, even extravagantly so. St. Paul tells us in the 2nd reading that Jesus is "the image of the invisible God." Jesus reveals to us that our God loves us. He loves us enough to give us his fatherly instructions for our happiness. Following God's law ultimately leads to our happiness, true freedom, and eternal life.

“You crazy Catholics… you have so many rules!” Have you ever heard that? It makes it seem like following God’s plan is some kind of kill joy that takes all the fun out of life. Society has accepted the notion that to be really free and maximize pleasure you have to do away with “the rules.” Our readings today give us a very different picture. The biblical view has always been that God’s law is a blessing. Following the law leads to life.

Jesus did not come to do away with the law. He actually tells us just the opposite. Jesus completely fulfilled the law and he wants us to follow the law. However, Jesus also did more than the law required and wants us to do the same.

In today’s gospel story of the Good Samaritan, we see how a priest and Levite went by without helping the victim. They were actually fulfilling the law. The law excused them from helping out due to fear that the man was dead. The Samaritan hero goes beyond what the law would require. The description is even one of extravagant help to the poor victim. What would you do? Do you normally try to get by with with “bare minimum” or even break “the rules” when you think you can get away with it?

Jesus did not do the bare minimum. We are meant to see ourselves as the victim fallen half-dead in the ditch going down to Jericho. Like the Good Samaritan, Jesus comes to rescue us, even extravagantly so. St. Paul tells us in the 2nd reading that Jesus is “the image of the invisible God.” Jesus reveals to us that our God loves us. He loves us enough to give us his fatherly instructions for our happiness. Following God’s law ultimately leads to our happiness, true freedom, and eternal life.

This homily was given at Masses on the first weekend at my new parish of St. Patrick Catholic Church in Kansas City, Kansas.

Today's homily is kind of part three in the series of the last two weekends considering our baptismal call to be priests and prophets. Today we consider our commission to share in the kingly office of Jesus. Perhaps we think of a king as a tyrant, a dictator. Especially in America, we tend to have a negative image of kings. However, the real call of a king is to bring about the best ordering of his kingdom for the good of all his subjects. A good king is a servant of the public good.

Jesus is the king of kings, so maybe we shouldn't have such a negative image of kings. Rather than trying to take and get more for himself, Jesus humbled himself completely. That's the kind of kings he calls us to be. When he sent his disciples out on mission in today's gospel he actually tells them to leave a bunch of "stuff" behind. Despite having no possessions or money with them, at the end of their mission the disciples come back rejoicing!

We all want to rejoice. The message in the gospel is that joy comes not from having a bunch of stuff but from fulfilling the mission and purpose of our life. If we know we are sent by Jesus then we go and preach the gospel and don't even care if a town accepts or rejects the message. There is still joy. But, if we don't know our mission then we will just waste time chasing after more of what the world offers. Worldly pleasures and possessions will never satisfy and will not lead to lasting joy.

You're called to be a king, to go out and bring heaven to earth. Are you going out and conquering the culture or are you a victim of the culture? Do you shape the culture or does it shape you? If you're trying to play the world's game and are left feeling disappointed, then it's time to start fighting and go out on mission. It's time to claim your kingly character.

This homily was given at Masses on the first weekend at my new parish of St. Patrick Catholic Church in Kansas City, Kansas.

Today’s homily is kind of part three in the series of the last two weekends considering our baptismal call to be priests and prophets. Today we consider our commission to share in the kingly office of Jesus. Perhaps we think of a king as a tyrant, a dictator. Especially in America, we tend to have a negative image of kings. However, the real call of a king is to bring about the best ordering of his kingdom for the good of all his subjects. A good king is a servant of the public good.

Jesus is the king of kings, so maybe we shouldn’t have such a negative image of kings. Rather than trying to take and get more for himself, Jesus humbled himself completely. That’s the kind of kings he calls us to be. When he sent his disciples out on mission in today’s gospel he actually tells them to leave a bunch of “stuff” behind. Despite having no possessions or money with them, at the end of their mission the disciples come back rejoicing!

We all want to rejoice. The message in the gospel is that joy comes not from having a bunch of stuff but from fulfilling the mission and purpose of our life. If we know we are sent by Jesus then we go and preach the gospel and don’t even care if a town accepts or rejects the message. There is still joy. But, if we don’t know our mission then we will just waste time chasing after more of what the world offers. Worldly pleasures and possessions will never satisfy and will not lead to lasting joy.

You’re called to be a king, to go out and bring heaven to earth. Are you going out and conquering the culture or are you a victim of the culture? Do you shape the culture or does it shape you? If you’re trying to play the world’s game and are left feeling disappointed, then it’s time to start fighting and go out on mission. It’s time to claim your kingly character.

We often think of a prophet as someone who foretells the future. Sometimes they do that. But in the biblical sense, a prophet is someone who speaks on behalf of God. Maybe it's a blessing or maybe a curse. The most important thing about being a prophet is speaking what God wants you to speak.

Last week, we talked about how we are all called to be priests in our baptism. Today, we see how we are also all called to be prophets in virtue of our baptism. You may be thinking, "Who am I to speak for God?" In our first reading, we see that being a prophet isn't so much about your own ability, but rather that you have been give the spirit of prophecy and been anointed by God for this mission. So, if you've been baptized, you've been given the spirit of prophecy and have been anointed with the Sacred Chrism. You're a prophet!

Perhaps without realizing it, you've been speaking a lot about God. Do you shy away from talking about religion or hesitate to speak up about your faith? Well, you're speaking. You're communicating to people that God is not really that important or that your belief in God is private or even embarrassing to you. It's not that we have to go around overtly talking about God all the time. But, would those you work with and associate with even know that you're Catholic?

Your life, both your words and your actions, speak about God. You are a prophet. What message are you speaking?